Three individuals were apprehended for conspiracy-related offences last week, stemming from an incident last spring where a Chinese national illegally crossed the Canadian border into the United States, the New Brunswick RCMP says.
The U.S. Border Patrol informed the RCMP about the illegal border crossing that occurred near Grand Falls, N.B., on April 15, the Mounties said in an Oct. 16 press release.
The RCMP Border Integrity Unit, the Canada Border Services Agency, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada launched an investigation that resulted in the identification of three individuals who were suspected of conspiring to transport people from China to Canada, with the intention of smuggling them into the United States.
The New Brunswick RCMP together with RCMP officers from Ontario, apprehended three men in the Toronto region on Oct. 7.
A 38-year-old, 34-year-old, and 24-year-old were taken into custody, but their names have not been made public by police.
“All three individuals were later released, and the investigation is ongoing; however, police believe that the three arrested individuals were part of a larger network involving more people,” RCMP Cpl. Jean-Francois Adams said in the release.
Meanwhile, 16 people were arrested last month attempting to cross the border into Canada in a separate incident near St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que.
The RCMP said the group was trying to cross the border illegally, but declined to comment further because the investigation is ongoing.
The RCMP also intercepted a truck near Stanstead, Que., in August that was attempting to bring 44 migrants into Canada. Police said the individuals in that case were crammed into a truck without ventilation.
The RCMP is asking anyone who suspects illegal activity involving the border to call their local police force or Crime Stoppers. Secure Web Tips can also be submitted at www.crimenb.ca.
The apprehension of foreign nationals by U.S. authorities for unlawfully crossing the border from Canada into the United States decreased by almost 99 percent between July 2024 and July 2025, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Illegal crossings that reached 2,848 last July were down to 41 in the same month this year.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
